Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Salary

Average pay for a Chief Operations Officer in the United States is considerable, rounding six figures at $111K per year. Cash earnings for Chief Operations Officers — including $52K in bonuses and $46K in profit sharing proceeds near the top of the pay scale — generally stretch from $51K to $228K depending on individual performance. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by years of experience. Male Chief Operations Officers are more prevalent than women among those who took the survey — 62 percent of professionals. Job satisfaction for Chief Operations Officers is high. A strong majority report receiving medical coverage from their employers and a majority collect dental insurance. This overview is based on answers to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Chief operations officers (COO) are in charge of planning and overseeing all the company operations and projects. They are responsible for creating operation strategies to increase profitability of their organization, and they actively participate in corporate efforts to increase brand loyalty. They work closely with the chief financial officer to create transparency in expenses and financial reports. COOs also implement new marketing initiatives and measure their effectiveness, as well as create company-wide policies to boost productivity. They also help develop or guide internal training programs for new products or services.

COOs report directly to the chief executive officer and/or a board of directors. They typically work in an office setting during regular business hours, but overtime is often required due to their wide range of responsibilities.

A bachelor's degree in business administration, management, finance, or related field is needed for this position. Additional years of work experience in a management position, and leadership certifications are a plus.

COOs must have strong interpersonal and communication skills. They also must be organized, analytical, and have experience leading a large group of workers to meet company objectives. COOs should also have a good knowledge of office software they use to create presentations and communicate with employees and vendors (e.g., the Microsoft Office suite and email applications).

Chief Operations Officer (COO) Tasks

Implement the strategies set by the Board of Directors and the CEO.

Improve operating procedures to increase profits and/or make the organization more efficient.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Job Listings

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Popular Skills for Chief Operations Officer (COO)

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey results imply that Chief Operations Officers put a diverse skill set to use. Most notably, skills in Leadership, Strategic Planning, Business Development, and Project Management are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 5 percent and 11 percent. Those listing Human Resources as a skill should be prepared for drastically lower pay. IT Management and Sales Management also typically command lower compensation. It is often found that people who know Leadership are also skilled in Strategic Planning.

Pay by Experience Level for Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Chief Operations Officers, experience and pay levels seem to be correlated; more years in the business generally lead to more money. Survey participants with less than five years' experience pocket $77K on average, but those with five to 10 years of experience enjoy a much bigger median of $99K. After 10 to 20 years, professionals can make it pretty big; the median salary sits in the six-figure neighborhood of $117K. Chief Operations Officers who have spent more than 20 years on the job report earning a significantly higher median of $141K.

Pay Difference by Location

Home to some of the best pay for Chief Operations Officers, San Francisco offers exceptional salaries, 88 percent above the national average. Chief Operations Officers can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like Boston (+50 percent), Washington (+41 percent), Atlanta (+39 percent), and Miami (+31 percent).